The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1887-01-07
STORY OF MISS ANNA'

a
oinner where old friends have met, old
stories told. These men had been
comrades in war, had served under
the same flag, held the same political
opinions and suffered the same losses.
1t seemed pleasant now, after the
lapse OF years, to exchange experience
from an easy chair. with tho best OF
cigars IN ones mouth and bottle of
Old wine at ones elbow. They in
1oyed it keenly in their sober, mid
dle-aged fashion, told their stories
with gusto,s drank their toasts with
enthusiasm and listened to each
others talk with an eagerness of at.
tentlon and a freshness OF sympathy
at once as novel as it was delightful.
lnnunerable changes were runs upon
Three themes. viz, "before the war;"
1.-THE war" and "since the war;"
we OF the new generation can easily
imagine the style OF talk,
Each had told his story, when our
host turned toward me and said:
"Well, Harrison, we are waiting for
your story"
Harrison smiled deprecatingly, sazed
into the fire, and then began the fol-
lowing, in his soft, Southern drawl:
Well, my story happened when we
were in Georgia. Just outside of Mar
letta, and our mess consisted of six
men-two Georgians, one Alabamian,
aVlrglnian, myself, and a Creole, with
abeautlful tace and tenor voice that
would charm the birds from the trees,
named, Ssingularly enough, Orphee.
we became very tuneful set under
his inspiration, and exchanged mus
lcal information vito much generosity.
Our favorite air was that famous
camp song, "Tenting on the Old Camp
Ground. You should have heard us
sing it. Orphees tenor. my barytone,
and the three other fellows Ginning in
softly, until the very pine trees stop
ped whispering to listen and the fire
burned softly in admiration, and war
somehow did not seem so hard and
cruel. Well one dark night we were
sitting around the fire, discussing with
unwearied enthusiasm the prospects
OF the cause, when we heard irregular
footsteps outside, and paused in our
talk to listen.
1ou can turn in here until further
orders, said our lieutenant's CHEEKY
voice, and a minute afterward 81 short,
thick-set man entered. He made an
apologize little bow, shook himself
like q dog, and, taking Off his large
wldeawake, disclosed dark, square
face, with shy, dark eyes, blue black
hair, and wide, firm mouth. He
smiled tenderly, giving an air of great
sweetness to an otherwise sombreface.
He sat down on blanket, Turkish
fashion, quietly hoped he was not
disturbing u.s. and then dropped his
eyes meditatively on the ground. ST.
lence reigned. We were too disconso-
late to be polite, and so listened un-
easily to the slow, indefinite STRINGS
OF the wind through the trees, when
suddenly a new sound arose, as OF
stealthy, uncertain footsteps coming
nearer and nearer. =. The newcomer
pricked up his ears, and his face wore
an expression almost approaching
guilt. "a spy" was my first illogical
conclusion as rose to my feet and
waited expectantly. The flap OF the
tent stirred slightly, cautiously; the
wind rose and swept the darkened
landscape; the rain poured down with
a rush, as if to give q tragic signifi.
canoe to what was about to happen,
for-something did happen-the flap
was suddenly pushed aside, and a
goat walked in and went straight to
the stranger, who received ner with an
gesture. d
"Arum go, said the virginian under
his breath.
We all agreed, but contented our
selves with staring at thestrange spec
tacle ola man and goat fondling each
other with uncouth marks ofaffection
After awhile we resumed our old lazy
positions and silently awaited further
developments. The little man signed
the goat to a remote spot, where she
lay down, and then turning toward
us said, as ii taking upan unrepressed
thought; "You see, boys, / could nov
help it If Mamie would follow me. 1
have been good to her and she remem.
bers it. had to leave home secretly
to escape her, and all through the
journey I felt like scoundrel, and
now-wel1, here she is"
He stopped abruptly without wait.
ing for comment, and lay down with a
short good night. Il lay awake several
hours after the Others, wondering idly
as to the probable tie which bound
the new conner to the goat, but arriv.
ed at no solution. From that night
Parsons and his goat became a SUBJ
ject of never ending speculation to the
mess. He was very quiet and unob-
trusive never resentipg, although con-
triving to evade impertinent questions
and bearing everything with a good
nature amounting to stupidity. As
for the goat she became the hapless
butt OF the whole division. We called
her derislvely "Miss Anna," treating
her with an amount of mock consid-
GRAFTON, that made Parsons eyes fair
ly glisten with appreciation. The Sec
ond night after their arrival we be-
gan to sing, as usual, when the Virgin
ian rose, and in u speech the delicate
humor OF which | shall not attempt
to reproduce, begged that Miss
Annals rest should not be broken
by our rude chanting. ] shall never
forget the broken. tender, deprecatine
little reply that came from Parsons,
and how he consented at last to sing.
His face was so rapt as he sat beating
time with his forefinger and occasion
allv uuayeringOht an effective "Dying
tonight, dying tonight" which we
sang as if the very life blood were ebb-
ing away, that ! began to realize the
absolute cowardice OF ridiculing a per.
fectly innocent, unconscious man.
began to try and shield him from
the fun makers, and was finally
Joined by Orphee who became his
more ardent and eloquent partisan.